Bottle



J. J. QvUlNN BO'TTLE v Filed April 9, 1934 INVENTOR Patented Mar. 24,1936 UNITED kSTATES PATN T OFFICE t `1o claims.

'I'his invention relates to bottles of the sort provided with fingergrooves to assist in holding the bottle for the prevention of itsslipping when held in the hands, especially if the hands may be wet,

z5 .and has for its object to provide grooves of this type which are soplaced as to make it unnecessary. for the moist fingers totouch thelabel. Another object is to provide a bottle having finger grooves whichare comparatively inconspicuous when the bottle is viewed from thefront, so as not to aiect the normal appearance of the bottle upon thepurchaser. The ringer grooves are only noticeable when viewed in profileor from one side.

Manufacturers of old line bottle goods are well aware that the shape oftheir bottles constitutes an important element in the appearance oftheir goods and in their goodwill. So valuable is the appearance andshape of the bottles that it has been found even a slight change in theappearance of the goods as for example, a slight change in theappearance of the label, results in a substantial falling off in sales,because the buying publie has become accustomed to` a particular mentalimpression created by the appearance of what they have been in the habitof purchasing. This reluctancel of the public to take .up a slightchange in appearance of something they have been accustomed to, ispossibly due to a natural mental inertia of all peoples-and possiblyalso due to caution by the purchasers to avoid spurious imitations andcounterfeits.

Many manufacturers of bottled goods such as are used by bartenders inmixing or dispensing drinks, and such as are used by barbers in applyinghair tonics, have realized that the hands of the bartenders and barbersare often wet resulting in the bottle slipping. Yet these manufacturershave been reluctant to adopt for their bottles any of the existing typesof nger grooves which would lessen the danger of the bottle slipping,because realizing that such eidsting types of finger grooves necessitatea substantial change in the appearance or shape -of their bottles, andthese manufacturers fear the almost inevitable falling oif in sales fromsuch a practice.

According to this invention these disadvantages have been eliminated anda bottle provided with finger grooves which are soy shaped andpositioned as to enhance the safety in use of the bottle withoutaffecting the general appearance of the bottle when viewed from thefront.

Referring to the drawing: Fig. 1 illustrates a bottle having oneembodiment of this invention. Fig. 2 is a rear View of bottle shown inFig.. 1.

'5Q .Fig. 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

(Cl.A 215-1) vFigal illustrates the convenient manner of handling thebottle of the preceeding figures. Fig. 5 is a section ,onf the line5-1-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 isa section on the Vline 6 6 of Fig. 5.

In 'the' embodiment shown in the drawing, theY 5 bottle. I'is 'ofgeneral cylindrical shape, having a reduced neck portion I I, surmountedby any convenient type of closure suchras a cork or a metal cap. On thefront of the bottle just below the reduced neck portion is a thumbgroove I2. Dia- 10 metrically opposite this groove and on the rear ofthe bottle are a plurality of nger grooves I3. Each of the grooves, I2and I3, have their ends and edges so gradually rounded as to berelatively inconspicuous when viewed in profile or from the side asshown in Fig. 3. The rounded edges of the grooves are shown at I4 inFig. 3 as forming on the adjacent outer surface of the bottle, thesubstantially sinusoidal contour illustrated.

When the nger grooves are positioned as illustrated the little finger,ring finger, and large finger, of onerv hand may engage the grooves I3,with the foreiinger engaging the reduced.l neck portion of the bottle sothat this neck portion may-function as another groove for this finger.As illustrated lin Fig. 4, the thumb engages the groove I2. With bottleshaving no neck portion shaped to function as a linger groove, it will-be desirable to have four instead of three grooves I 3.

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned the convenienceand adaptability ofthe fingers to it the grooves for a substantiallength, each groove being at least about 60 degrees in extent. The thumbgroove I2 is of substantially the same length as l. the linger grooves,although it need not be so long.` Having the thumb groove I2 locatedabove the label I5 venables the user to keep the label 'dry and unsoiledby his hands. A very important feature of this invention resides in thebottle having its sides, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, free of any fingergrooves,` while at the same time these finger grooves are substantiallyinconspicuous from the front or rear because their edges are sogradually rounded. These last two advantages make it possible for thefinger grooves to be present without detracting from the normalappearance from the front and nger grooves on the back, said grooveshaving gradually rounded edges so that they are inconspicuous from thefront, the sides of the bottle being free of said grooves whereby thegrooves are noticeable chiefly in prole and the general appearance ofthe bottle'from the front is the same as would be the appearance of thebottle Without such grooves.

2. A bottle of a size to be held by thumb on one side and the ngers onthe opposite side of its body portion, having a plurality of grooves onone side of a size, shape and spacing to fit a substantial length ofngers received therein and a thumb groove opposite said plurality offinger grooves, the sides of the bottle between said opposite groovesbeing free of grooves.

3. A bottle of a size to be held by thumb on one side and the ngers onthe opposite side of its body portion, having a plurality of grooves onone side of a size, shape and spacing to fit a substantial length ofngers received therein and a thumb groove opposite said plurality ofnger grooves, the sides of the bottle between said opposite groovesbeing free of grooves, the length o1 the nger grooves extending throughat least about a sixth of the transverse distance around the bottle, andof gradually decreasing depth at the ends of said 'grooves and on thesides of the grooves.

4. A bottle of a size to be held by thumb on one side and the fingers onthe opposite side of its body portion, having a plurality of grooves onone side of a size, shape and spacing to t a substantial length offingers received therein and at least a thumb groove opposite saidplurality of finger grooves, the sides of the bottle between saidopposite groove being free of grooves, the length of the nger groovesextending through at least about a sixth of the transverse distancearound the bottle, and of gradually decreasing depth at the ends of saidgrooves, the edges of all of said grooves being so gradually rounded andthe depth of all of said grooves being so slight as to be comparativelyinconspicuous except When the grooves are viewed in prole.

5. A bottle of a size to be held by thumb on one side and the ngers onthe opposte side of its body portion, having a plurality of grooves onone side of a size, shape and spacing to iit a substantial length offingers received therein and at least a thumb groove opposite saidplurality of nger grooves, the sides of the bottle between said oppositegrooves being free of grooves, the length of the finger groovesextending through at least about a sixth of the transverse distancearound the bottle, and of gradually decreasing depth at the ends of saidgrooves, the edges of all of said grooves being so gradually rounded andthe depth of all of said grooves being so slight as to be comparativelyinconspicuous except when the grooves are viewed in profile, a sectioncentrally through said inger grooves being substantially sinusoidal onthe outer surface.

6. A bottle of a si to be held by thumb on one side and the ngers on theopposite side of its body portion, having a plurality of grooves on oneside of a size, shape and spacing to iit a substantial length of fingersreceived therein and 5 a thumb groove opposite said plurality of fingergrooves, the sides of the bottle between said opposite grooves beingfree of grooves, the length of the finger grooves extending through atleast about a sixth of the bottle periphery, and of grad- 10 uallydecreasing depth at the ends of said grooves, the edges of all of saidgrooves being so gradually rounded and the depth of all of said groovesbeing so slight as to be comparatively inconspicuous except when thegrooves are viewed in l5 proile, a section centrally through said fingergrooves being substantially sinusoidal on the outer surface, the bottlebeing cylindrical and having a reduced neck portion, the finger groovesbeing three in number and located close enough 20 to the neck portionthat one finger may engage the reduced neck portion while the thumb andother fingers of the same hand are received within said grooves.

'7. A bottle of a size to be held by thumb on 25 ne side and the fingerson the opposite side of its body portion, having a plurality of grooveson one side of a size, shape and spacing to fit a substantial length offingers received therein and at least a thumb groove opposite saidplurality 30 of linger grooves, the sides of the bottle between saidopposite grooves being free of grooves, all edges of all grooves beingso gradually rounded as to make said grooves relatively inconspicuousexcept when viewed in proiile. :35

8. A bottle of a size to be held by the fingers; having at least threegrooves of a size, shape and spacing to fit a substantial length of thengers when open and grasping said bottle, a reduced neck portion, thetopmost groove being below the 40 conjunction of said neck and bodyportions by an amount substantially equal to the spacing between saidgrooves, to facilitate one finger tting about the neck, a groove on theopposite side of the body portion from the finger grooves and: 45 atabout the height of the upper nger groove whereby on entry of the thumbinto its groove the ingers naturally tend to enter the finger grooves onthe opposite side, and whereby a label may be located below the thumbgroove and out 5.0 of contact with the thumb, fingers or hand whileholding the bottle.

9. A bottle of a size to be held by the fingers, having a body portionof rounded cross-section to conform to the fingers when bent, atleast/'155 three grooves of a size, shape and spacing to iit asubstantial length of the iingers when open and grasping said bottle, areduced neck portion, the topmost groove being below the conjunction ofsaid neck and body portions by an amount sub-f stantially equal to thespacing between said grooves, to facilitate one finger iitting about theneck; a groove on the opposite side of the body portion from the iingergrooves and at about the height of the upper nger groove whereby onen-f'* try or the thumb into its groove the ngers naturally tend toenter the iinger grooves on the opposite side, and whereby a label maybe located below the thumb groove and out of contact with, the thumb,iingers or hand while holding the bottle, the sides of the bottlebetween the thumb and nger grooves and on each side of the label beingfree of any grooves whereby the aforesaid grooves do not substantiallychange the front ap-I- pearance of the bottle from what it would 'beWithout said grooves.

10. A bottle having nger grooves on at least one face, said grooveshaving gradually rounded edges so that they are inconspicuous from thefront or back, the sides of the bottle being free of said grooveswhereby they grooves are noticeable chiey in prole and the generalappearance of the bottle from the front or back is the same as would bethe appearance of the bottle without such grooves.

JOHN J. QUINN.

